John Snow

John Snow is the central figure of Friends and Mentors. It was his enthusiasm and exploration of lithography and his encouragement of Maxwell Bates and Barry Smylie that resulted in the very special friendship of these three artists.

It was also because of Snow’s enthusiasm that many other artists have been introduced to lithography. English artist Peter Daglish used Snow’s press in 1955; he is now one of England’s leading lithographers and head printmaking instructor at the Slade and Chelsea School of Art. Other well known Canadian artists to receive assistance from Snow and his lithograph press include Jock MacDonald, W.L. Stevenson and Illingworth Kerr.

Since 1953, Snow has printed approximately 100 editions of these and other artists’ works in addition to his own. Indeed, John Snow has not only been a friend and mentor to Bates and Smylie; he has also been a major influence on the overall development of lithography in Alberta.

Richard L. White